Media Advisory: Educational Opportunity Center opens new home

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BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo’s
Educational Opportunity Center will unveil its new
68,000-square-foot, $26-million facility at 10 a.m. Friday, June
14, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the
state-of-the-art building and testament from graduates whose lives
were changed by the center’s commitment to serving students
lacking traditional educational resources.

WHAT: The new EOC represents the newest link in the
expanding Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus complex and another
example of UB’s commitment to downtown Buffalo. The new
building and training center to support lifelong learning is
connected to the UB Downtown Gateway building at 77 Goodell St.
(the former M. Wile building) via a 5,000-square-foot
connector.

WHERE: The new EOC is located at 555 Ellicott St. (near
Goodell Street), adjacent the UB Gateway building.

WHO: The formal opening includes presentations by EOC
officials including Executive Director and Buffalo native Julius
Gregg Adams, UB President Satish K. Tripathi, and UB Council
Chairman Jeremy M. Jacobs. Cherie Lias, a recent graduate of two
EOC programs, will also speak about her experiences at the
center.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: The state-of-the-art EOC
facility renews SUNY and UB’s commitment to serve
underprepared students and produce lifelong learners who are
self-directed, empowered and committed to excellence. It also will
allow the EOC to emphasize academic and vocational programming for
the various allied health fields expected to be in great demand in
the community. It is a vital ingredient in the network of
university services and health care facilities providing health
services, jobs and educational options on the Buffalo Niagara
Medical Campus.

The opening of EOC is another milestone in UB’s expansion
in downtown Buffalo. In September, UB opened its Clinical and
Translational Research Center in the joint UB-Kaleida Health
building at Goodrich and Ellicott streets, and in 2016 the
university plans to open a new medical school on Main Street.

The building projects, as well as UB’s plan to hire an
additional 250 faculty members, are part of the UB 20202 strategic
plan, which is funded in part by the NYSUNY 2020 legislation and
$35 million challenge grant signed into law by Gov. Andrew M.
Cuomo

CONTACT: Charles Anzalone in UB’s Office of
University Communications at 716-645-4600, anzalon@buffalo.edu or
716-440-8824 on site.